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On June 30, 16 children, aged between one-and-a-half and 18, were discovered and rescued after spending at least four years “kept in worse conditions than livestock”, and their responsible adults were arrested in Ohio.
Heartbreakingly, the children had suffered such “serious physical harm” that two had to be flown to specialist trauma centres, while another seven were taken to Columbus Hospitals, with one admitted to the ICU and intubated.
The children's father, Gary Siders Jr., 36, mother Elizabeth Siders, 33, and grandparents Gary Siders Sr., 73, and Christina Siders, 77, were arrested and charged with 16 counts of child endangerment. However, they have all since pleaded not guilty.
However, in the case’s latest twist, Vinton County Prosecutor William Archer announced at a press conference on Wednesday, July 8, that Gary Siders Sr., the children’s grandfather, has left jail and been admitted to hospital.
Following a medical emergency, he has been released on a recognizance bond, which allows an arrested person to leave jail without paying money.
During the conference, Archer explained that en route to a preliminary hearing, Siders “fell and had a medical issue that required treatment and assessment”.
Reportedly, he was taken to a nearby hospital where doctors discovered that he had a “serious medical condition” that needs to be treated in a different county.
According to Archer, the grandfather will receive treatment elsewhere, as he claimed that Vinton County, which would be responsible for paying the bill as he was housed at Vinton County Jail, would not be able to afford it and it could "bankrupt" the county.
Archer added: “We were not going to put that burden on our taxpayers, and so it was agreed that we would do a recognizance bond so he could get the medical treatment that the doctors say he needs and won’t cost the county that money.
“If he's released from then, he will then be equipped with a GPS monitor."
Although there is little else known about Siders Sr.’s health condition, an attorney representing the reprobate, Dorian Baum, said he has major concerns about how his client acted during the arraignment.
Baum said: “Just by looking at him, my first impression is I have concerns about his competence. I have concerns about his mental health. I have concerns about his ability to assist in his own defense. These are all things that are bedrock, bedrock conditions you need to move forward in any case.
"So my first initial talking with him essentially is going to be, you know, is this a person who we need to evaluate for whether or not he's competent to stand trial? Is this a person who is potentially not guilty by reason of insanity or any of the other possible defenses?"
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After 16 children were discovered in beyond inhumane conditions this week, an attorney representing one of the adults responsible, their grandfather, has urged the public to “step back” and allow the authorities to get to the bottom of the case.
The severely neglected children were held captive in a small room for most of the last four years, which was reportedly no larger than 12 by 12 feet and had a high presence of human excrement.
Heartbreakingly, the children had suffered such “serious physical harm” that immediately after they were found on Tuesday, June 30, two had to be flown to specialist trauma centres, while another seven were taken to Columbus Hospitals, with one admitted to the ICU and intubated.
Although the neglected brood were only thought to have been held in the decrepit Ohio property for four years, it is presumed that they had been mistreated and kept captive for the majority of their short lives, as the 18-year-old could not spell her own name and many of the others were completely mute.
The family is believed to have moved around the state of Ohio a lot over the last two decades, but it is still remarkable that there is little to no record of the children’s existence, as they have never been enrolled in a school or attended doctor's appointments.
According to WBNS, neighbours told authorities that they were completely unaware of any children living in the home and believed that the adults who were keeping them captive were not locals and appeared to be travelling.
Four family members, the children’s parents and grandparents, Gary Siders Jr., Gary Siders Sr., Christina Siders and Elizabeth Siders of Hamden, Ohio, have been arrested on child endangerment charges.
Each sickening adult faces a minimum of two to eight years and a maximum of 12 years in prison for each of the 17 charges.
It has been reported that the children were discovered in decrepit conditions when law enforcement officers were investigating an entirely separate crime.
Although authorities have not officially shared details about the investigation that led to the house being searched, court documents prove that a warrant was issued for Mr Siders Jr on misdemeanour indecent exposure charges related to alleged incidents on four days in May.
An attorney representing Mr Siders has urged the public to keep their noses out of the investigation and let authorities handle it properly.
Dorian Baum told the Associated Press: "We ask that the community at large, as well as anyone who might have an interest in this case, to take a deep breath, step back, and let the case play out, and the facts play out."
In the latest update since 16 children were discovered and rescued after spending at least four years “kept in worse conditions than livestock”, and their responsible adults were arrested, the prosecutor has revealed the challenges that could hinder the investigation into the horrifying case of neglect.
The children, aged between one-and-a-half and 18, were discovered inside a crumbling house, locked in a room of just 12 by 12 feet by the Vinton County Sheriff's Office in Ohio on Tuesday, June 30.
Heartbreakingly, the children had suffered such “serious physical harm” that two had to be flown to specialist trauma centres, while another seven were taken to Columbus Hospitals, with one admitted to the ICU and intubated.
The children's father, Gary Siders Jr., 36, mother Elizabeth Siders, 33, and grandparents Gary Siders Sr., 73, and Christina Siders, 77, were arrested and charged with 16 counts of child endangerment. However, they have all since pleaded not guilty.
Sadly, during a press conference just days after the gut-wrenching discovery, Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson and Vinton County Sheriff Ryan Cain warned the public, who have been gripped by the case, that the investigation could take some time.
The main reason for the expected delay in prosecution is that the children are believed to have very limited communication skills, with some of the 16 children who are aged between one and a half and 18, completely mute.
The state officials even compared the children to animals, describing them as “feral”.
It is not known if any of the children have ever had any formal education, as there is no evidence of them ever being enrolled in a school, according to the Vinton County School District.
William Archer, Vinton County prosecutor, said: “One of the investigative challenges is that (the children) are limited. They can communicate but it’s extremely limited and some not at all.”
He also noted that the eldest child is developmentally a minor and incapable of spelling their own name, despite being the age that most teenagers graduate from high school.
The prosecutor also told reporters that the children are in the process of being placed in protective custody with Ohio Jobs and Family Services.
Since the arrests of all the allegedly responsible adults, the judge also confirmed that all four bonds are set at $300,000, and each charge could land a prison sentence of two to eight years. If each of the four family members is found guilty on all counts, they could face 192 years in prison individually.
Authorities in Ohio have arrested and charged four family members after discovering 16 children living in severe neglect in a rural home. The suspects include the parents, Gary Siders Jr., 36, and Elizabeth Siders, 33, as well as the grandparents, Gary Siders Sr., 73, and Christina Siders, 67.
All four individuals face charges of second-degree felony child endangering following an investigation in Vinton County.
Law enforcement officials found the boys and girls, who range in age from 18 months to 18 years, inside a small, dilapidated house in the village of Hamden. Investigators stated that the property lacked basic sanitation and showed clear signs of human waste. Several of the children required immediate medical attention upon their rescue and were transported to nearby hospitals.
The investigation indicates that the family had been highly mobile, moving across different parts of the state before arriving in Vinton County roughly four years ago. The children were kept entirely out of the education system, with none of them enrolled in school. The oldest child, an 18-year-old with developmental disabilities, was unable to spell her own name.
Vinton County Sheriff Ryan Cain described the residence as "disgusting" and noted that the conditions showed signs of human excrement. He stated that investigators believe the 16 children were restricted to a single 12ft by 12ft room for the majority of the four years they spent at the property. The isolation severely impacted their development, leaving some of the youth completely non-verbal and others with very limited speech capabilities.
"Most of our livestock was kept in better conditions than the children," Cain stated during a news conference detailing the rescue operation, per Sky News.
Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson expressed shock over the situation, noting that the conditions "really looked third world" and adding that "It's just almost beyond comprehension." Wilson explained that the family managed to keep the children hidden from the community for years, using a home that was owned by a trust.
"Some of these children couldn't even speak," Wilson said regarding the state of the youth. "It was terrible. They looked like almost feral animals. It was terrible."
The children were immediately removed from the home and taken to the hospital for evaluations. While some have been examined and released into protective custody, others required urgent medical interventions. According to state officials, one child was placed in intensive care, and two others had to be flown to trauma centers due to the severity of their injuries.
The four defendants made their first court appearance in Vinton County via a video link from the Southeastern Ohio Regional Jail. During the hearing, the judge entered not guilty pleas on behalf of all four family members.
The court set a bond of $300,000 for each defendant. As part of their bail conditions, the judge issued a strict order barring the parents and grandparents from having any contact with the children or with each other while the legal process moves forward.
Almost a week after 16 children, some with severe injuries, were rescued from a home full of excrement and their parents and grandparents were charged with 16 counts of child endangerment, a judge has issued a serious warning to the defendants.
The children, aged between one-and-a-half and 18, were discovered inside a crumbling house by the Vinton County Sheriff's Office in Ohio on Tuesday, June 30, and were described as being "kept in worse conditions than livestock”.
At the scene, dad Gary Siders Jr, 36, mom Elizabeth Siders, 33, and grandparents Gary Siders Sr, 73, and Christina Siders, 77, were arrested and charged with 16 counts of child endangerment, but they have all since pleaded not guilty.
Law enforcement officers described the scene as “pure evil”. At the same time, Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson told a news conference they were found in “conditions you cannot even imagine people being in, let alone children being in.”
Heartbreakingly, the children had suffered such “serious physical harm” that two had to be flown to specialist trauma centres, while another seven were taken to Columbus Hospitals, with one admitted to the ICU in a serious condition.
Although the neglected brood were only thought to have been held in the decrepit Ohio property for four years, it is presumed that they had been mistreated and kept captive for the majority of their short lives, as the 18-year-old could not spell her own name and many of the others were completely mute.
At the court hearing on July 1, all the responsible adults pleaded not guilty, and in response, Vinton County’s Judge Laina Fetherolf Rogers issued them a grave warning.
According to the Associated Press, she said: “They [prosecutors] are asking that you have no contact with your co-defendants – that means each other. I presume the jail will keep you from having contact with the other two co-defendants if you remain in jail.
“No contact with the alleged victims of the offence; and if you are released, that you be fitted with a GPS monitor at state’s expense.”
Explaining what the different pleas could mean for the alleged abusers, Rodgers said: “You have four pleas available to you. A plea of guilty is a complete admission of your guilt. A not guilty plea is a complete denial of your guilt. A no contest plea is not an admission of guilt, but is an admission to the facts that underlie the complaint.
“If you plead no contest, the state would give me a statement of facts, and it would be up to the court to determine whether or not you were guilty of the charged offences based on those facts.”
The judge also confirmed that all four bonds are set at $300,000 and each charge could land a prison sentence of two to eight years. If each of the four family members is found guilty on all counts, they could face 192 years in prison individually.
A relative of the 16 children found in a feces-filled rural Ohio home made a shocking admission about the discovery.
More details have emerged about the horrific situation, as the adults responsible for the kids have been arrested on child felony charges.
The children were found in a 12 x 12 room which was crumbling, with all 16 aged between one-and-a-half and 18.
After being found by the Vinton County Sheriff's Office in Ohio on Tuesday (June 30), they were described as being "kept in worse conditions than livestock”.
As a result of the awful conditions, the children suffered “serious physical harm,” resulting in two being sent to specialist trauma centres, while another seven were taken to Columbus Hospitals, with one admitted to the ICU and intubated.
Now, a relative said they were not aware that there were 16 of the "almost feral" children living in the tiny home.
Authorities found the children, aged between one and 18 years old, living at the family’s neglected Vinton County home last week.
Ohio Authorities have arrested and charged four family members after discovering the children in the rural home.
These suspects include the parents, Gary Siders Jr., 36, and Elizabeth Siders, 33, as well as the grandparents, Gary Siders Sr., 73, and Christina Siders, 67.
Ronnie Fletcher, who is married to the grandparents' adult daughters, said while they knew the couple had a large family, he only believed there were 10 children.
Speaking to local news outlet WOWK 13, he admitted that he only learned of the 16 children when news of the arrests broke.
He explained that the news left the extended family “horrified” and “worried about the kids,” adding: “It’s been awful for the people that had no idea that was going on [in] the house that are related to this family.”
Fletcher claimed that relatives would have got involved if they knew what was really happening, saying: “If we would have known that it was like that in that home, we would have done something about it – even if it was just to go there and take the kids ourselves or give them money.”
But it had been almost seven years since Fletcher and his wife knew where her relatives were living, as the suspects kept the family at "arms-length."
He said: “We might have known whereabouts, like in a county or in a spot, [but] most of the time we felt like that wasn’t really the truth.”
"The last time we heard from them, we gave them a car, and that’s probably close to a year ago now – other than Lynn [Christina] calling us and asking for money or [saying] they needed help with the water bill," adding that they found out about the existence of the decrepit home on the news.
Fletcher said that at the time of the couple's oldest child's birth, around 18 years ago, the Siders raised children who became "successful members of society."
He went on: “I’ve known this family since grade school. I’ve been with their daughter for 20 years. Gary and Lynn did not raise their children that way.
“The four daughters that got out are successful members of society.”
“I can’t believe it because we always thought there was homeschooling going on,” Fletcher admitted.
“We knew they didn’t go to school, but we were always told they were being homeschooled.”
Rumors of "generational incest" have circulated online, as Fletcher further pointed out: “This is all in that one home.”
Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson had also described the reported abuse as “intra-family.”
The children can barely communicate, with many found to be mute, say authorities.
Investigators said that the eldest child, 18, is developmentally disabled and struggles to write her own name.
The four suspects each pleaded not guilty to 16 counts of child endangerment on Wednesday (July 1), when a judge set their bail at $300,000 each.
If they are found guilty of all charges, each defendant could face a maximum sentence of up to 192 years behind bars.
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